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There is a strong need to manage low-value forest residues generated from the management practices associated with wildfire, pest, and disease control strategies to improve both the environmental and economic sustainability of forestlands. The conversion of this woody biomass into value-added products provides a great opportunity to benefit both the environment and...

Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forest residues were physically fractionated through sieving. The bark and wood were separated for large-sized fractions (>12.7 mm), and their contents were determined. The chemical compositions of the large fractions were calculated based on the contents and chemical compositions of the bark and wood. The...

Eight countries collaborated and shared technical information on the harvesting of small trees and forest residues in a three year program. Proceedings and reports from workshops and reviews are summarized in a review of activities and harvesting systems of the participating countries. Four databases were developed for harvesting and transportation of these materials...

Timber harvest activities in the western United States have resulted in large volumes of low- to no-value logging (forest) residues. Alternatives to pile-and-burning are needed to best utilize this material and to mitigate the resultant environmental impacts. Briquetting (densifying) forest residues near-woods is one such option and is the focus of this study. This...

The use of goal programing for selecting forest residue treatment alternatives within a multiple goal framework is described. The basic features of goal programing are reviewed and illustrated with a hypothetical problem involving the selection of residue treatments for 10 cutting units. Twelve residue-regeneration treatment combinations are evaluated by using physical...

In the mid 1970's, the accelerated price increases for petroleum products forced rapid exploration into and adoption of alternative energy sources. A viable option for the forest industry was the recovery of woody biomass from unmerchantable trees and logging residues. Several studies estimated that an abundance of such forest materials existed in the southeastern...

Forest residues often require treatment to meet land management objectives. Guideline statements for managing forest residues are presented to provide direction for achieving these objectives. The latest research information and the best knowledge of experts in various land management disciplines were used to formulate these statements. A unique keying system is...

During the summer of 2003, the U.S. Forest Service conducted an evaluation of biomass bundling for forest residue extraction. This CD provides a report of the project results, a video documentary project record, and a collection of images from the project. Additional information is available at:

Forest residue is the most affordable feedstock for biofuel production as stated in a recent US National Research Council Report. Softwood forest residue represents a significant amount of woody biomass that can be sustainably used to produce biofuel. It also has very low contents of acetyl groups and 5-carbon polysaccharides, favorable for biofuel production through...

Forest residue is one of the most cost-effective feedstock for biofuel production. It has relatively high bulk density and can be harvested year round, advantageous for reducing transportation cost and eliminating onsite storage. However, forest residues, especially those from softwood species, are highly recalcitrant to biochemical conversion. A severe pretreatment...

This report presents a life-cycle impact assessment analysis of near-woods processing of post-harvest forest residues into wood briquettes as an alternative to other fuels such as propane in residential heating systems. The study was part of the Waste to Wisdom project with a broader goal of evaluating the feasibility of using semimobile biomass conversion technologies...

The Waste to Wisdom project was part of the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) and funded by the Department of Energy (DE-EE0006297) at an amount of $5.8 million. Our interdisciplinary research team, consisting of academics, business professionals, and land managers, worked together for about four years (September 2013 to December 2017) to: 1) conduct...

Forest residues, including unmerchantable and small-diameter trees, tops, and limbs, produced during thinning and timber harvest operations can be used to produce renewable bioenergy and bioproducts. The more efficient utilization of forest residues could also help offset the high costs of forest restoration activities, fire hazard treatments, post-harvest activities...

Woody biomass feedstock that is both high quality and low cost has become increasingly important for the bioenergy and bioproducts industries. Logging generates forest residues â low-quality feedstock â and additional operations that also incur additional costs, such as biomass sorting and treetops processing (BSTP), micro-chipping, and screening, which are required to...

Twenty-five series of photographs display different levels of natural forest residue loadings by size classes for areas of like vegetation in the Pacific Northwest. Information with each photo includes measured weights, volumes, and other data on residues, information about live vegetation, and fuel ratings.

Forest residues management involves disposal, modification, or utilization of wood products. The costs and benefits of the several alternatives available to forest managers must be evaluated in relation to land management goals and constraints in four areas: (1) unused wood fiber, (2) conflagrations, (3) impairment of forest resources, and (4) opposition to treatment...

Five series of photographs display different forest residue loading levels, by size classes, for areas of like timber type (Sierra mixed conifer and Sierra true fir) and cutting objective. Information with each photo includes measured weights, volumes and other residue data, information about the timber stand and harvest actions, and assessment of fire behavior and...

Wildfires are getting extreme and more frequent because of increased fuel loads in the forest and extended dry conditions. Prevention of wildfire by fuel treatment methods will generate forest residues in large volumes, which in addition to available logging residues, can be used to produce biofuels and bioproducts. In this study, the techno-economic assessment of...